Fume-disseminator.



L. D. WEST.

FUME DISSEMINATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l5. me.

1,229,363 Patented June12, 1917.

IE1 El @uuewfoz LEONIDAS 1). WEST, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FUME-DISSEMINATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 191?.

Application filed November 15, 1916. Serial No. 131,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONIDAS D. WEST, a citizen of the United States, residin at Denver, in the county of Denver and btate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fume-Disseminators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive type of fume disseminator which may readily be attached to and detached from the guard of any of the numerous types of electric fans.

In the attainment of the above end I employ a casing open at both ends in order that a draft of air may be directed therethrough from the fan and provide one end of said casing with an openwork screen. A block of absorbent material rests in a pocket or pan within the casing and covers a part of the area of the screen, and another object of the invention is to so construct said block as to cause it to tilt against and remain in contact with the screen to prevent rattling which would be otherwise occasioned by the vibration of the fan.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawing which constitutes a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric fan showing the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the improved device;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 4- 1 of Fi 3.

In the drawing above briefly described the numeral 1 designates a casing open at its opposite ends and preferably of frusto-conical shape, being suitably ornamented although in some types of the invention the casing may be altogether plain. An openwork screen 2 preferably of wire fabric is provided for the larger end of the casing 1 and the edge of said screen is soldered or otherwise secured to a sheet metal rim 3, this rim being L-shaped in cross section in order that one of its flanges may surround a head 4 on the larger end of the casing 1. The lower edge of the rim 3 is hinged at- 5 to the casing 1 while one of the flanges of said rim, at the upper edge thereof, is bent inwardly at 6 (Figs. 3 and 1) to form a spring catch taking over the bead 4.- to normally holdv the screen in operative relation with the casing.

Any suitable means may be employed for attaching the device to the guard G of an electric fan F but a hook 7 is preferably employed for this purpose, the bill of said hook being offset from the plane of and spaced upwardlyfrom the rim 3 in order that it may be readily passed over one of the wires of the guard. If desired, a hook S on one end of a coiled spring 9 may be passed around another of the wires of the guard as shown in Fig. 1 to hold the casing in operative relation with said guard even though the fan be tilted in the well known manner for directing a current of air downwardly. The spring 9 is preferably connected to the casing by means of an eye 10 carried by the lower side of the latter. The spring 9 when employed as shown in Fig. 1 will serve to some extent to prevent rattling of the casing 1 against the guard G but a suitable pad 11 preferably extends over the lower portion of the screen 2 and is secured to said screen as well as to the rim 3 thereof.

A pocket or pan 12 is carried by the lower portion of the screen 2 and is located within the casing 1, said pocket or pan supporting therein an absorbent block 13 to be saturated with liquid from which fumes are to be carried or disseminated by the current of air passing through the casing. The pocket or pan 12 is preferably formed in the fol lowing manner: A plate 14 extends across the inner side of the screen 2 at the lower edge thereof and is secured in any preferred manner to the rim 3. A second plate 15 curved in longitudinal section but straight in transverse section is secured at one of its longitudinal edges to the inner face of the plate 14 and a third'plate 16 rises from the other longitudinal edge of plate 15. The two plates 1% and 16 thus constitute the sides of the pan while the plate 15 forms the bottom and ends thereof.

The block 13 is preferably constructed of a porous plastic material although others might well be employed, said block being of circular shape in order that it may fit rather snu ly in the pan 12. e lower edge of the lock 13 is inclined slightly as shown at 17 so that only the outer corner 18 of said edge rests upon the plate 15, thereby tilting the block against and holding it in contact with the screen 2 to prevent rattling asthe device is vibrated by operation of the fan. One or more passages are formed through the block 13 but preferably in most cases a single passage 19 will extend through said block with its axis spaced above that of the latter. The opening 19 will preferably decrease gradually in size from the inlet toward the outlet end of the casing 1 as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

In use the block is saturated with the liquid whose fumes the device is to disseminate and said block will then be placed in the pan which serves to collect any surplus liquid. This having been done, the casing 1 is swung upwardly to operative position andsecured to the rim 3gby snapping the flange 6 over the bead 4.

The entire device is now in readiness to be attached to a fan guard as shown in Fig. 1 and when applied in this manner a current of air will be directed through the casing 1 by the blades of said fan, said air carrying with it fumes from the block 13, it being understood that the latter absorbs the liquid from the pan 12 so that the air passing through and around said block becomes impregnated with the odor of the liquid.

It is to be noted that although a portion of the area of the screen 2 is obstructed by the pad 11 and plate 14, this does not in any manner decrease the efficiency of the device since practically no air is forced from the inner ends of the fan blades, the outer ends of these blades performing almost all of the work.

The device may be used .to advantage in hospitals, assembly halls such as theaters, churches, etc., and may also be employed for purifying or perfuming the a1r of any chamber in whichthe' fan can be operated. Furthermore, by removing the block 1.3 and substituting therefor a sponge or the like, the device may be used as a humidifier by filling the pan 12 with water.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that although the device is of extremely simple and inexpensive nature, it will be highly eflicient and durable. For these reasons, the construction shown constitutes the preferred form of the improved disseminator but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed,'nu-

merous changes may be made without sac- 0 rificing the principal advantages.

It will be further observed that the stream of perfume or medicated air emerging from the device will be effectivelyspreadthroughout the room by the general current of air produced by the fan, and it will thus effectively reach all portions of the room.

I claim:

1. A fume disseminator comprising a frusto-cone-shaped casing disposed horizontally and open at both ends to permit a current of air to pass therethrough, an openwork screen hinged to and extending from the larger inlet end of said casing, a pan extending into the casing from and carried by the lower edge of said screen, an absorbent element resting in said pan and extending over part of the area of the screen in the path of the air current, and a hook at the upper edge of said inlet end of the casing for suspending the latter from a fan guard.

2. A fume disseminator comprising a casing having both of its ends open to per mit the passage of a current of air therethrough, an openwork screen extending across the inlet of said casing, an upwardly opening pocket in the casing carried by the lower portion of said screen, and a block of absorbent material resting at its lower edge in said pocket and extending over part of the. area of the screen, said lower edge of the block being inclined transversely to permit only the inner corner of said edge to rest on the bottom of the pocket, thus tilting the block against and holding it in contact with the screen.

3. A fume disseminator comprising a circular casing open at both ends to permit the passage of a current of air therethrough, a circular openwork screen for one end of said casing, a circular rim for said screen hinged to the casing, a plate extending across the lower portion of said screen and secured to said rim, another plate curved in longitudinal section and straight in transverse section secured at one of its longitudinal edges to the inner face of said first named plate, a third plate secured to and extending upwardly from the other longitudinal edge of said second plate and form ing with the aforesaid plates a pan, and a circular block of absorbent material resting on the second plate between the others and extending over a part of the area of the screen.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONIDAS D. WEST. Witnesses:

J. A. GRIESBAUER, L. O. HILTON. 

